Mr Pete, you saved me $200 today. Bless you!!!! I have a cut 50 hf, had a pilot arc cut 50 in my Amazon cart. Not to mention I have a box full of consumables. Like a miracle here’s your video!! Saw in one of your other videos that the electrodes are reversible, I right so but wasn’t sure. Thank you kind sir!!!!!!!!!!

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Best idea for improving a plasma cutter on all of You tube. I finally bought a plasma cutter last week and watched several of your videos and all your tips and especially this one on converting to a pilot arc (worked great) helped me bypass all the mistakes a newbie would make. Thanks for your help!

Man I tell you I don't think I've ever seen a better straight forward absolutely practical everyday man video 💯😎

You sir ...are a genius.....this is what i love and miss about youtube......

Simply beutiful. well explained from a dedicated person!

Holly cow, that is incredible. I live in India and the only single phase machine I can find is a high frequency touch start. I want to use it for a CNC, bit don't want to touch start the CNC. This is amazing. I'm going to give it a try.

Pretty cool, Pete! A one stop shop for all the info and reviews you could ever need on these machines!

great video...have had cut 40 for 10yrs...always wanted pilot arc...with mine if it starts and stops to often it blows up the voltage power regulator on the main board...pilot would stop this, great tip.....less grinding to allow good contact

thanks pete... exactly what I was looking for to resolve having to touch the metal work before cutting..

Thanks Pete, I’ll give it a shot!

Gnarly. Just bought a new torch and it came with an extra wire attached to the consumables. I guess THIS is what it’s for. I’m assuming I should be able to run a lead down the umbilical back to the case and tie that wire to the ground clamp terminal and I’m good to go.

Pete you are quite intelligent about lots of things. Pilot arc starting systems in plasma cutters have a high frequency generator designed AC plasma inducing jet that is 1/4" to 1/2" long from the cutting tip for a short while until the DC kicks in at the base metal to continue the cut. When you jump the positive ground or work piece continuously like that throughout the entire cutting process you will heat up the digital circuitry or electronics in the machines and shorten their lives. You are telling all of these listeners to do something that is not designed for their machines to do. Only pilot arc start machines designed to give the initial starts until it contacts through the metal while cutting then converts back to DC to cut for long periods without harm. If it was that easy the machine sellers would surely install a work piece wire on all of their machines. Research the differences in machines with and without pilot arc designs.

Exactly what I was going to try, you save me the time, awesome

Kind of knowing ( how it works ) is one thing. but now I UNDERSTAND it much better. thanks

PETE !!!! THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH !! It works soooooo good !! And it saves on consumables !!!! Thanks Pete you’re the best !!

That is incredibly simple, love it. Thanks!

The loose bare wire going away from the tip can be wrapped in kapton tape to help insulate the wire and is high heat resistant 👍

Oh my God !!! Now I can avoid all the mess that happens cuting my epoxy painted iron bathtube. Thak you Sr! Thank you Thank you !!

Cracking video! Saved me a shitload of money! I'm gonna give it a punt turning the ground connection off with a relay once the arc is struck using some electrical magic to try and save my tips. Keep up the good work.

For the insulation problem on the wire, try silicone wire, they are more flexible and vastly more heat resistant.

Hi Pet, That is a good Tip putting a wire on to the Torch Tip. I will try that later today.

this dose work but you loose cutting power as some of the current now travels through that added wire it also choose the tip out of the torch the inside is eating out. wonder if throwing a resister inline would help improve the life and lessen the current or maybe a cap with a very small bleed down resister

I don't understand why you say that you don't recommend doing this. It seems like it is a really great way to make an HF machine act like a pilot arc machine when you need it.

This could be an actual product! This is a great enhancement innovation.

Bloody good video mate. Quick simple easy to understand.

Really enjoy your videos and comments

I am interested in the inquisitive spirit of the old man, and I also used it as a reference.From Okinawa

Just what I needed. Thank you

Fabulous tip! Thanks for sharing!

I did try this out it worked great thanks Pete

I cut a whole truck hood apart like this it was awesome thanks

Kiwi ingenuity. Thanks mate exactly what I needed because its cheap and im cheap.

Belting videos Pete, many thanks.

Very good!! Oh tanks! May I God bless you!

Hi Pete, Great Video. Thank you.

once you get started cutting on lets say a painted surface will the heat then burn off the paint once you get gong allowing a connection thru the tip again and not just the wire making the wire not heat up as much and last longer ? this way you'd only be using the wire to start but the melting steel/slag would then come in contact with the tip and it would cut as normal....thanks

Great video mate thanks. I'm wondering if you remove the isolating ring whether the same thing would happen???? Might try both ways on my Aldi Plasma cutter!

Hi Pete. Great innovation. Could you put a small switch in the wire and mount it in/on the handle or where you could turn this off once the cutting starts.

Great job love the video just what I needed thanks so much

Hi Pete. Very clever idea. I was wondering why not removing the insulating ring and machine a copper/bronze/stainless one on the lathe to make contact with the tip? What do you think? Is it worth doing this instead of the bare wire method? Thanks a lot.

Brilliant. What a beautiful hack.

When you are cutting are you dragging the tip? Would it be possible to machine a piece of copper to the dimensions of the swirl spacer of copper to make the electrical connection? Thanks love the videos

Awesome you answered my question.love this channel

Stick of feather in his hat and call him macaroni

very handy tip!! very sharp idea!! i love this im gonna buy a non pilot arc plasma cutter instead !! less expensive!

Peaty peat. Really neat

Thats cool. Super cool. Thanks for the video

Hi Pete, do not touch the un-isolated wire during usage, you might get injured, when the ground clamp is not making proper contact !!!

I just bought a plasma hf start and stumbled on this at just the right time. Thanks for the great tip! Other than the need to be careful of the bare wire and the shortened lifetime of the consumables, is there any other reason that you don't recommend it, or is it just to keep the sue-happy jackals at bay?

Excellent info Pete!! Just curious would this cause any damage to the machine or cause the consumables to burn up faster?

2:00m As I understand it, if you just make a scratch to base metal and start your torch there - you've got it made..

Pete, what do you think of the Stamos plasma with built in compressor from Germany.

I have a Cut60 HF and wish to add a P-80 Pilot Arc torch with the wire which normally attaches to the pilot arc ground on the front of a Pilot arc machine. Can I just lengthen this wire and ground it to my ground clamp?

fricken genius! I really appreciate you making this video. I realize it’s a couple years old.

Good work I have just ordered a AG-60 for my cut 40. Hoping I am hoping it has the extra wire. If not I will try your idea. Many thanks

obrigado pela ideia vou fazer na minha cut 40 smart não e tocha piloto Bagé rs,

very nice mate!lovely!

WOW!! very nice. Thank you for the vido

Pretty cool. It’s not a real pilot arc. It’s the cutting arc. But still, it works.

Love your channel!

Thanks Pete great idea.

Awesome....creative

Hey Pete good vid mate . Looking at cut50 plasma cutters the question is can thevalso weld or just cut cheers Ed

You’re a genius. Does this mean you don’t need to scratch start it anymore either?

Too cool Pete! Thanks!

It worn the consumable tip lot quicker. U need to add resistor

Thanks..... we move forward 🙏 💪

Best videos on you tube thanks mate

You are very cool man and cool sir I need help, to understanding plasma cutting machine voltage and amps ( output ) For example, a stick arc welding machine outputs ~ 15 volts and 80 to 250 amps According to your video, to make starting arc/pilot acr it needs low amps (probably) and high ~ 5000 voltages. After that when plasma starts to form, then how much voltage and current is needed to make plasma? (I'm talking about the output)

Could you get a pilot arc torch and ground the wire that goes to the red connector? Would that work? Please show if you have the pilot arc torch please. Looking to get a plasma cutter 50 but not sure if I should get a pilot or non-pilot and try a pilot torch? What do you think? The way you are showing does it make the consumables last longer?

i have a p80 pilot arc touch can i hook it up like in video to make it a pilot touch

Hi mr From kuwait with big like

Excellet cut me gusta thank

Thanks for the Vid mate! Cheers! 😊

Great idea sir 👌👌👍

Awesome tip thank you.

Ace real life, love it

G'day, I have a Bestarc BTC500DP Gen 7 with a AG50P torch. I'd really like to use the Extended consumables from the PT31 torches to have a better view of the cutting tip and to be able to follow non-straight cutting lines or templates. I have looked for PT31 torches with the 3rd conductor for Pilot Arc and have no luck. Is there a trick I can make this happen? Thank you in advance.

Pete, a question about plasma tips. I have a Herocut Plasma cutter45x pilot arc and would like to know if the torch which is an IPT60 can use drag tips.

Hi Pete, great videos. Do you know if it's possible to do this the other way round and use a non-pilot arc torch on a pilot arc machine?

Will this work on my prime weld cut 50D?

Thanks for the tip. Great idea.

Thanks Pete

Hi! How long do the wear parts last if you cut with the "conversion"? How many starts kann you make? Thx

Pete ... awesome video ... but wouldn't it be better to get one of those pilot arc torch kits and just replace it on the machine? Just have to find (or make ) a spot for the pilot wire to get attached to the ground. They're anywhere from $40 and up ... seems like a much simpler and safer solution ... doesn't it?

So how did you hook up the wire on the in side of the torch. I noticed in the video I didn't see the wire during the show. Thanks I like you're show very much.👍

When upgrading what does the red wire context to on the torch? U have a cut 40 as I have the cut 50, could you help a sister out

freakin genius.

can i use this technqiue if i use the plasma cutter for CNC build. I have heard that HF causes a lot of problems with other electronics on the cnc. Will this help eliminate any HF EMI issues which can cause problems ?

Bloody brilliant

wait so the 100 bucks difference between the HF machines and the pilot arc machines is the torch?

Hi pete can you please tell me which is the best torch to use with a Pilot Arc Plasma Cutter CUT50P 50A 220V Non-Touch Digital Air Inverter. the torch that came with this machine uses P80 consumables and I could never get this torch to work properly it's always hit and miss with the pilot it just spits and splutters maybe it's the wrong torch that they put with the machine? please pete I do need your help on this one mate. cheers peter

muito bom, perfeito!🇧🇷

Mr can we use usual Tig welding electrode as plasma cutter according your explanation on youtube kindly? Thank you

genius......genius........genius

Gratitude!

Outstanding!

so can you just buy a Plasma Pilot Arc torch and fit it to a non-Plasma Pilot Arc machine and just earth the extra wire? in my understanding?

Awesome!! Best plasma hack ever!!!